Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X, #1)(101)

The tree didn’t have nearly as many branches as the one at home. Tessa scraped her hands trying to get ahold of the lowest one, which wasn’t as sturdy as she’d thought. Her disorientation didn’t help matters, and she nearly lost her balance twice. Still, she was pleased that she did a better job than Rhea and actually jumped to the wall first—though not without nearly falling again. She managed to hold on to the top of it as she crouched and willed the world to stop spinning. Once her rapid breathing calmed down, she moved over, and Rhea joined her.

“Fucking awesome,” said Rhea.

Tessa had to agree. The gardens spread out before them, so beautifully designed that they didn’t seem real. Hedges were trimmed to perfection, lining stone paths that wound around everything. Trees Tessa had never seen before swayed gently in the evening breeze, with beds of flowers surrounding them. She couldn’t quite make out the colors in the poor lighting. The gardens had the same kind of spotlights as the front of the senate, but they were pointed up at statues of important historical figures scattered along the path.

And just below them was Rhea’s bench.

“It’s really there,” said Tessa, not realizing until that moment that she hadn’t been sure. It didn’t look quite as high as Rhea had led her to believe.

“Yup.”

Without further warning, Rhea jumped. She actually managed to land on the bench but couldn’t get her footing. She swore as she fell to the ground but soon stood up and gave Tessa a thumbs-up. “No broken bones.”

A reasonable part of Tessa was beginning to sober up and tell her this was a terrible idea. But Rhea had already invested in the venture, and peer pressure ran strong. Tessa jumped with similar results, hitting the bench and falling. Unlike Rhea, Tessa felt pain shoot through her ankle as she landed ungracefully. Rhea helped her up and had that big grin on her face again.

“What should we do first?”

Shouts told them they wouldn’t be doing anything. Tessa spun around, wincing as her ankle yelled at her. Still, she was about to jump on the bench and climb out when she noticed something important.

There were no handholds on the wall. It was perfectly smooth. Her jaw dropped, and she turned to Rhea.

“You said—ahh!”

Something big slammed into her body, forcing her to the ground and knocking the wind out of her. A nearby cry suggested Rhea had met the same fate. Strong hands jerked Tessa upright. A dark figure peered down at her and sighed.

“It’s just a f*cking kid,” he said.

“Mine too,” came a female voice. “So much for the world’s best security.”

“It’s not like they got into the senate itself,” said Tessa’s captor in a surprisingly light tone. He steered her forward. “Come on.”

She tried to walk but stumbled. “M-my ankle.”

“Serves you right.”

He slung his arm around her and half dragged, half carried her toward the main building. Tessa thought her heart would explode. Until then, she hadn’t believed anything could be more terrifying than that first day in the Gemman airport. Blood pounded in her ears, and she really couldn’t make any sense of her surroundings except the rapidly approaching building.

The man scanned his hand at a door and unlocked it. Light spilled out when the door opened, making Tessa squint at the dramatic change. She and Rhea were led down an empty, sterile hallway toward a large door that read SECURITY. Another hand scan gave them access, and they entered a room filled with monitors and gray uniforms. One of the soldiers looked up in surprise.

“What’s this?”

“Our perimeter was breached by highly trained assassins,” said the man holding Tessa. He gently pushed her into an empty chair, and a moment later, Rhea sat beside her, looking as though she might pass out.

Now that her eyes had adjusted to the light, Tessa managed to get a good look at their escort. When she did, she thought she might be sick.

Pr?torians.

All the larger-than-life horror stories she’d grown up with returned. These two weren’t like Mae, who joked and smiled and wore pretty clothes. Both were clad in black uniforms that made them seem like death incarnate. The man who’d held her was huge, his muscled physique apparent even under the black jacket. The woman who’d held Rhea was shorter and slimmer, but her strength was obvious. Both wore guns at their sides and possessed hard, deadly expressions.

The regular soldier who’d greeted them brought over a scanner and checked Rhea’s chip. “I’m sure your parents are going to love meeting with military police tonight. You’re lucky you’re a minor.” When he scanned Tessa, his snide look vanished. “Huh.”

“‘Huh’ what?” asked the female pr?torian.

“She’s a Panamanian national.” The soldier stepped back, floored. “This is an attack on Gemman soil. She’s technically a terrorist.”

The male pr?torian snorted. “She’s a kid. And she’s drunk.”

The woman moved to look at the scanner. “Is there a guardian or some contact information?” She looked over the screen, and her eyebrows rose. “Justin March.”

She and the big pr?torian exchanged looks.

“Let us take her,” said the female pr?torian. “We’ll deal with her.”

The soldier gaped. “You can’t! Do you know how serious this is? I have to make calls and—”